The Church and Social Welfare

Catholic Intolerance

1082. Pastor Chiniquy was a Priest who said that he left the Church because she was too intolerant.

He did not leave the Church voluntarily, but was expelled from it in 1851 by the Bishop of Montreal because the Church could not tolerate his immorality. He pretended repentance, promised to behave himself, and persuaded another Catholic Bishop to accept his services. But in 1856 he was again expelled for immorality. If Pastor Chiniquy is your only argument against the moral theology of the Catholic Church, there is nothing wrong with that theology. I think it was Dean Swift who gently remarked, "I wish when the Pope weeded his garden, he wouldn't throw the weeds over the fence into our grounds." But the Pope does not do this. Some foolish Protestants gather the weeds up carefully and cultivate them as precious plants.

1083. Does not the Bull Ad Extirpanda claim the right to force the Catholic Church upon unwilling men?

No. In that document the Pope commands Catholic princes to prevent the propaganda of those who would publicly labor to destroy the faith of those who already professed belief in Catholicism. The word exterminate does not mean in its Latin significance that such men should be killed, but that they should be banished or expelled from the country. Nicholas I., a Pope of the ninth century, had already said, "The Church has no sword but the spiritual. She is here, not to kill, but to give life." But she has to preserve the spiritual life of her subjects, and certainly has the right to appeal to the authorities in a Catholic state to protect their religious interests.

1084. Does not every Bishop swear to persecute and oppose all heretics, schismatics, and rebels against the Pope?

The Latin word persequor does not mean the same thing as the English word "persecute." It means that the Bishop must vigilantly watch against the inroads of heresy, and that he will enforce in his diocese and amongst his Catholic subjects the laws preserving them from heresy, schism, or rebellion. Every Bishop swears that he will maintain the discipline of the Church, in the interests of truth and morality. Our own Archbishop took that oath. But if he were armed with a revolver and met an unarmed Protestant in a secluded spot, he would not feel the least obligation in virtue of his oath to put a bullet through the poor man.

1085. The Church does not persecute because it cannot. Persecution in the world to-day for religious opinions is impossible.

Persecution in the world for religious opinions is not impossible to-day. It occurs. In Russia and Mexico physical violence has been employed again and again. In almost all Protestant countries Catholics are persecuted by moral antipathy. But Protestants are not persecuted in Catholic countries. Persecution merely because of religious opinions is against the very principles of the Catholic Church. You seem to think that she would persecute if she could. The real truth is that she has no desire to do so. In his Encyclical on Indifference in Religion, Pope Pius IX. set out the Catholic attitude in the following words: "Catholics must in no way whatever adopt the attitude of enemies towards those who are not united with us in the same bonds of faith and charity. Rather they must strive to help them by all the duties of Christian charity, assisting the poor, the sick, and those afflicted by any other calamities. Their first duty, of course, is to try to lead them out of the darkness of error, in which unhappily they are, and to draT - them to Catholic truth, and to that Catholic Church which holds out her arms to them ever inviting them to her embrace, that by faith, hope, and charity, and all other good works, they may attain eternal salvation." Such is the official doctrine of the Church.

1086. Why dees the Pope object to the Christian religion in Italy?

He does not. The Catholic religion is completely Christian, and the Pope would like to see Italy completely Catholic so that it would be completely Christian.

1087. Why does he object to the preaching of Protestantism in Italy?

He does not object to Protestants living in Italy, and worshipping God in their own way according to their conscience whilst they are there. He does object to their trying to destroy the faith of Catholics. He would have very little interest in his people if he did not.

1088. Then why, by broadcasting, try to destroy the faith of Protestants here? Is it wrong for Protestants there, but right for Catholics here where they are only a small percentage of the population?

The fact that there is but a small percentage of Catholics here has nothing to do with the question of right or wrong. If so, where Catholicism is the prevalent religion you would have to admit its right to exclude Protestantism. Or again, you would have to admit the truth of Mahometanism where that religion is in the ascendancy. If Catholicism is true in Italy, it is true here; if false here, it is false there. Relative numbers have nothing to do with it. Christianity was true when Christ and His twelve Apostles were the only ones in the world who believed in it. Again, the broadcasting of Catholic doctrine will not destroy the faith of Protestants. If it affects them at all, it is calculated to perfect their faith by leading them back to the full and perfect religion of Christ in the Catholic Church. On the other hand, the propagation of imperfect Protestant teaching tends to destroy the full faith of Catholics. Truth carries its own right to exist. It is a good thing to spread knowledge of the truth. But error has no right to exist. It is a good thing to destroy error. Now the Catholic Church, having the truth, has a right to exist and teach everywhere. In fact, she has to do so, for Christ commanded her to teach all nations. Protestantism has not the same right. It retains some elements of Catholic truth, but many corruptions of its own. However sincere Protestants may be, Protestantism is an erroneous form of religion, and it keeps people from the real truth. The Catholic Church therefore rightly objects to the propagation of error among those who have the truth, and rightly propagates the truth amongst those in error. It is a perfectly logical position. Of course you will say that this doctrine supposes the truth o£ the Catholic position. It does, and the truth of that position I have often shown.